Inkwell: Authors and Artists

    
oops -- Mimi slipped.
  

    
JaNell, I didn't mean to say that the question wasn't valid, and I  am
also interested in Neil's thoughts on the subject and how he's
choosing to approach the script. 
And yes, The Trail of Tears was in America and on American soil, but
it's also something that the vast majority of Americans wouldn't
identify as having happened to them. Sadly, I don't even know if the
majority of Americans would identify it as having happened to
Americans.

I don't think that Death is a callous character, but my point was more
that she wouldn't be afraid to "go there." I know I'm touching a raw
nerve, but it seems so easy (and encouraged by the media and by those
who would justify their desire for war) to set the attack of 9/11 as
not just a horrible act that brought great suffering to hundreds and
thousands of people and seriously shook our self-image as a nation...
but as the worst event that has ever taken place on the face of the
planet. 

In my eyes, the beauty of the character Death is that she sees herself
and her function in a way that we cannot.. and also tries very hard to
see things from our perspective as well. That's what makes her so
interesting. I really do wonder what Death would say about the events
of 9/11. I'm sure it would be wise, and sympathetic, and surprising.

Hrm, Neil seems to have slipped. I'll have to check out The Wheel
then. Is that book already published? I have to admit I don't make it
into the comic shops that often anymore. The only thing I've been
collecting lately has been the Bone TPBs.
  

    
Did a quick search and found a thing about the 911 books at
http://www.ants.com.my/comics/trades/indept/911.html
"the wheel" was about five pages long. Beautifully drawn by Chris
Bachalo...
  

    
Email from JaNell:

Dan - When musing about Death/NY, I didn't use the word "afraid". I think
I said "don't want to". As for being aware of genocide in America - I'm
aware. Maybe I'm not just your average American. Maybe I am, and we're
not given credit for being aware of our own history. Slavery, AIDS;  the
list of genocide in America is too long to list here.

Another way to look at our shock at 9/11 is that we, Americans in
general, have worked really hard to get past all that Jerry Springer Show
behavior that some parts of the world still indulge in, and it's kind of
like the shock you get when you've done Neighborhood Watch, and cleaned
park areas up, and rallied for street lights at city council meetings,
and generally busted your butt to create a safe neighborhood for yourself
(and your neighbors), and you *still* come home one night to busted
windows, the TV's gone, and they shot your dog. All that work! I guess
everyone else will have to refuse to live with all that madness, before
it works.

I'm so tired of hearing how naive and self centered Americans are for
being shocked at 9/11. It's an opinion that seems to be espoused by
people who have axes to grind, or are naively believing that we *must*
have done something to provoke it... I guess it makes people feel safer
to think that. If it was the act of a mad man, why, it's out of our
control. A lot of people just can't handle that thought. So let's blame
us, our bad! We'll never do *that* again, whatever it was, so we'll be
safe. Errrr. Talk about naiveté. Not that I believe that our government
is not out there pissing people off, probably daily... But really, we're
the biggest target, so we got it. That's the 9/11 answer, for me.

JaNell
Resuming non-lurking silent mode. Y'all take care.
  

    
Neil - Darn, it's not on my Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll/Best Of - Ian
Dury & The Blockheads compliation [thank the gods for Rhino Records!],
but I'll definitely look for a copy. 

Ahh..JaNell slipped..
  

    


Jouni Koponen writes:



Hello all.

I'm still alive and functioning...

Maure, Neil -- You know, there's a bar in Turku (a city in Finland) called
Cosmic Comic Cafe, where you can have a beer/coffee/tea and read good
comics. There's also a comic shop corner in there... magnificent place.

Jouni
  

    
JaNell, I don't think you're an average American. Sadly, I've met too
many people who *do* seem blissfully unaware of their own national
history and who too eagerly embrace the position of "anything that we
do is right because we're Americans."
I had one person tell me that it was all right for us to bomb
civilians in Afghanistan because *they* had no regard for human life.
So many people have (and continue to use) 9/11 to advance their own
personal agendas... on both sides of things. I think we're all tired of
*that*.

Neil, thanks for the link. I'll check it out.
  

    
Hrm, I just did the "which comics creator" poll that Neil mentioned in
his journal.
I seem to be Dave Sim!
Interestingly, my third best match was Neil... but it says that
"Gaiman no longer does work amidst the comic book medium."

Of course, the fact that Neil is Gary Groth (my 6th best match) is
pretty funny.

Neil, did you even show up on your own best matches list?
  

    
I am Steven Grant. Neil is number three, just after Warren Ellis, and
just before Scott McCloud.
  

    
Well, if one day I open my comics cafe, it won't be in this
neighborhood -- Tara's Mom asked the local florist how much his rent
is, for me, and it is a little . . . erm . . . pricey. But we're a long
way off from even drawing up a plan, so I have some time for research.


And if it does open, you are all invited to the opening.

Christy,  the job interview went especially well, I thought. We spent
most of the time talking about things other than the job -- especially
football. Having grown up in a football family comes in handy now and
then. I can actually say "shotgun formation," and "fades up the seam,"
without making an ass of myself. He's supposed to call sometime in the
next few days, even if I didn't get the job, so I'll know soon one way
or another.

Oh Tree!  What color would you become??

Neil,  I'm sure there are places for you to go while in Chicago as it
is. But if eurydice does ever open, you know you always will be
welcome. 

Jouni is not only alive and functioning, but he's doing the most
gorgeously chilling illustrations. (I don't think I've emailed you
about the last one, have I? It's just magnificent. I am thrilled.) As
for your cafe, I would love to visit it and nick some of its ideas, but
there's very little chance of that, it being in Finland. On the
off-chance that I do find myself in Finland, I will make a point to
stop in. 
  

    
Neil - Just did the little quiz and found it funny that I came up as
Kevin Smith, you, and Scott McCloud (in that order).

Oh, and before I forget: Buffy fans, the soundtrack to "Once More,
With Feeling" is now available on CD. 

DanW - check your email.

squeaks, wasting her weekday off... as usual
  

    
Neil: Thanks.  And thanks for the info re: Terri W.  I'd really been
hoping to finally meet her, but I guess I'll have to actually make it
to WisCon next year.
  

    
I am also Steven Grant, and Neil was #3, as well.  Fascinating, where
Neil's clones turn up, isn't it?  ;-)

Mimi-ko!  Hi!  Good to have you back here!  I will send good
project-finishing thoughts your way!

<<Waves madly at Jouni>>  Hi!  Good to see you!  And good to know that
something like Maure's cafe *can* work.  Now to make it work in
Chicago.........(Neil--she'll have to stock Typhoo--I can't live
without it ;-)  ).

Mary (reading Titus Groan)
  

    

I'm Scott McCloud, and Neil was #6 and Grant Morrison #7. ;)
  

    
I'm Steven Grant, too.  Then Warren Ellis.  Gary Groth's #4.  Neil's
#5.
  

    
Maure and Mary and all other Chicagoans - I just booked my flight.
I'll be in Chicago from October 16 through the 21st. We gotta hook up
while I'm out there! I haven't been to Chi-town since my exodus in 95.
This should be fun!

Squeaks - Check *your* mail! 

I really want to see who is more Neil than Neil is. Somebody's gotta
come up with him as a #1 match!
  

    
Email from JaNell:

OK, I'm back briefly.

According to that test, I am:

1) Gary Groth
2) Neil Gaiman
3) Dave Sim
4) Scott McCloud

So, there you go.

JaNell
  

    
Hmmm, I'm more Dave Sim and Warren Ellis than Neil. Not quite sure
what that means...

Pam--Never fear, there will be red, but it will be a highlight as I go
back to something resembling my natural colour. The pretty colours are
too hard to maintain and now that I'm no longer dying for recreational
purposes... sigh...

Squeaks--"Once More With Feeling" CD? Must... have... [spasm]

Tree
Who ran into an ugly stepsister last night and discovered that the
best revenge really is living well.
  

    
I'm heading out on vacation tonight so toodles for awhile. Heading to
the (apparently) rainest place on earth and won't forget the Micky for
Tree.

I took the test and got in order
1. Neil Gaiman
2. Stan Lee (yippie!)
3. Kevin Smith
4. Dave Sim
5. Grant Morrison

I'm set in happiness for the rest of the day. Comics are the best
thing going in my opinion. More varity then cable tv and way less
hassle to get. 


Tree, I had one of those (at least in spirt) the other day, you go
chickie!

OK, everyone keep their fingers crossed that I don't get rained out.

Tracey off to sit in the car for way too long
  

    
Email from Christy:

Wow, Neil got Post #1500!  Maybe we'd better start thinking about a name
for the next thread soon....

Squeaks -- I hadn't noticed that Neil had any gray at all.  <shrug> Um...
just a non-observation, I guess....

Yes, do post what Harlan said after meeting your tatoo!  Maybe I'll like
him even more then!

Mary -- I saw Jackie Chan on _Live with Regis and Kelly_ this morning.  
(My mom's visiting, and she always watches "Reege" with breakfast.)  Did
you catch it?  He is *so adorable*!  And funny, and talented (and I think
his English is improving, too).  I believe the appropriate word is:  
Squeee!  :D

Erynn -- I remember one Shakespeare's Sister song, but I think it was
toward the end of their heyday.  (ca. '91, '92?)  But I always thought
the essay whence they got their name was a very good one!

Pamela -- I assume you meant "ThRong of Thingies," but the idea of a
"Thong of Thingies" is amusing.  I mean, I knew California boasts some
interesting forms of transportation, but, really.  ;)

And I don't know about Ducky, but y'all are one degree of separation from
Kevin Bacon.  :)

Davey -- Don't forget to place your Fall-planting orders.  ;)

Somebody from CBLDF finally answered me about my order!  I now have an
actual amount for which to write a check.  Woo-hoo!

...Wait a minute....

...Did these guys just manage to make me happy about writing a CHECK!?

Hey, Maure, didn't your uncle's episode of _Law & Order:  SVU_ air last
Friday?  Don't ask me why IMDB has the date listed as 1999, though.

Oh, by the way, that "longest place name" on the blog is 92 letters --
just in case anyone besides me wondered.

Later,
Christy

All she really ever wanted to do was
Show off her tatoo-oo-oo....
                - Mike Knott
  

    <scribbled by dfowlkes Tue 3 Jul 12 10:14>
  

    
Neil - I think the thing that excites me the most (ok, second most)
about you directing Death, is seeing what you have to say about the
whole experience in the journal. Neil vs. Hollywood, Championship Bout 
:) 

I guess that's assuming that you would have time to continue the blog
during the movie, but considering your always over-stuffed work
schedule, you seem to have mastered the craft of multitasking.   

Squeaks - Re: Once More With Feeling. I read that post directly after
ordering from Amazon. I've been making due with a homemade CD, from
some rather well edited MP3's off the internet. But it'll be nice to
have one created from the original studio recordings, particularly for
Tara's song which abruptly cuts off for, er... romantic reasons.
  

    
Danguy- I would SO go to your bookstore. 

Jinx is more Neil Gaiman than Neil Gaiman! (Have a great vacation)

I still want to hear about Squeaks, Harlan, and Babies. I must have
missed that one. 

I'm reading "Again, Dangerous Visions II" Edited and Introduced by
Harlan, of course. In one of the introductions, he's talking about his
days as a Clarion teacher. Can you imagine?! I would be so scared,
intimidated. I wouldn't last in his class at all. He says things like,
"This piece of shit isn't fit to line a bird cage...you aren't a
writer, you're a ghoul. You should have worked with Burke and Hare..."
I know he's just trying to get people to write good stories. But I
would cry. I commend anyone who could get through his class alive.

Shawn slipped. I missed the Once More With Feeling episode (although I
think I'm caught up on everything else). Does Spike sing? Haha. I
think I'm going to have to order the CD anyway.
  

    
Erynn,  I tried in vain to go unnoticed by Harlan -- I thought that
being super quiet and polite and quick about getting a signature would
save me, but no luck. I can't imagine what it would be like to have him
for a teacher. (Megan is still miffed at him for pointing to her and
talking about "whey-faced" youths. But then Megan gets miffed easily.)

I was Dave Sim.

I got to visit with Tara's mother last night. She is just the
loveliest person. I can easily see where Tara gets her loveliness. ;)

DanGuy,  I had super fun plans for the design and layout of my place
(nothing like moving lego walls, much to my envy), but I'm starting to
realize just how little of the design in my head will be affordable.
You *should* open your store. 
  

    
Christy,  his episode first aired a while ago, definitely not 1999,
but certainly not this past Friday either. Was it played again? I'm
sorry I missed it. I love watching him, he's so funny to me, especially
when he's being all serious and dramatic.